Walker o - just wondering how the height of a building relates to whether people walk or drive... Do people who live in 2 story houses walk more than drive or does this magic just kick in with 3 story buildings? Sounds like a logical fallacy. Please explain...

This is a great new start to a New and Bustling Encinitas. For those of you who like Encinitas the way it is, move.

Encinitas is going to be transformed into an active urban center that will attract people from all walks of life. There will always be something to do and many new people to meet. There will be great restaurants and shops with really world class art.

People who live in this development will be able to question whether they even need to have a car. They will be within walking distance of everything including the transit station. The only thing the walkers won't be able to do is shop at a supermarket (unless they take the bus, that is).

They should make it 30 stories, surround the tower with parkland, and Bury the Tracks.

This building is an eyesore. It is HUGE and there are roof patios, so it is really a four story building. One condo is selling for $2 mil, and they built within 10 inches of the neighboring apartments. The concept is good but the execution went for maximized profits. A two story would have been appropriate and fit into the neighborhood character. But, NOOOOOOO, got to build, build, build for profit's sake. I foresee party central on the roofs with rented condos and short term rentals. Ha, wait until the apartment owner decides to build another story on Seaside Apts and blocks much of the views.

The residents will be within walking distance of everything except a grocery store, drug store, garden center, post office, gym, office supplies or fabric store. But they can do some yoga, get a haircut and eat a taco all day long.

Mailbox Station is at 1106 2nd Street, about a 15 min. walk, and Anderson's Stationers is across from Charlie's car repair, about an 8-10 minute walk.

BFD.

The building is pathetic. What was once a place a beauty is now a monument to greed, poor planning, mundane design, and everything our politicans promised WOULDN'T happen if we Incorporated. This isn't "smart growth", it is stupid. I hope everyone who was involved with this project gets a major karma bitch slap.

The people who have been appointed to our Planning Commission did nothing for our community. It's time some of these jerks were replaced.

And Maggie...why on earth do you associate yourself with Duke Cunningham? He's in JAIL!!!

There are people living within a rocks throw of this development NOW. You have the option of moving there NOW, without three stories. There is a ton of residential units near downtown NOW.

Upzoning to three stories only brings more traffic and crowding and makes it less of a small town. We want small town. Small town people talk to each other and invest in each other.

Big town people become anonymous and disconnected.

The third story upzone makes the developer rich. It doesn't add any new opportunity for walkability or reduce traffic. It will increase traffic because people will live just like they already do downtown. They drive because to get around.

And btw, why should we be forced to all go to charlies'. Doesn't that guy support Dalager and Stocks. I'll never take my car there if he does.

Hello, it's more like 5 stories counting what you don't see beneath. And yes a pretty mundane overdevelopment, when it had the perfect opportunity to have made a statement. This is one of the main intersections of Encinitas. The entrance to North and South 101 and Moonlight Beach. Something more like the archetecture of the Captain Hook house next to Glen Park would have looked awesome here. But sadly the trend isn't toward unique, memorable and harmonious architecture along the coast anymore. We get oatmeal. And in large portions. It's good oatmeal for somewhere else, but not here.They just don't get it.

And of course they want to continue this type of development all the way North until we look like everywhere else. Keno's turned down an 8.3 million offer for his portion of the Kingdom. Thanks Jerry!

I am grateful for the investment because I am a property owner in Encinitas and welcome investment in our beautiful city. I welcome thoughtful development, restoring unkept areas, renovating properties, cleaning up our city, increasing our property values and otherwise making this a more beautiful place to live.

The additional tax base can help to support infrastructure investments for the public good. This all results in a higher quality of life, better parks, better schools, libraries, streets, bike lanes, landscaping coast highway, safer railroad crossings, etc.

My post wasn't a free market comment on government policies requiring low income housing, but rather a free market comment focused on the right of the developer to invest how they wish within the boundaries of our city development policies.

For the record, I am against cities requiring low income housing. Within the confines of zoning and general plan, I believe that property should be used for its highest and best use. This is determined by the marketplace.

There's a post office (Leucadia) and drug store (CVS) within walking distance (depending on how far you want to walk).

What was there before was not "a place of beauty". It was a monument to ramshackle development in a different economy during a different century.

I've dealt with the shortage of affordable housing in Southern California my entire life. You think it is hard for young people (i.e., your kids) to get started when houses in NC cost a million bucks? Wait till they cost $3 million.

The only solution is to build, build, and then build some more (while hopefully preserving some open space)--if you want to reminisce about quaint, small town life of yesteryear, there's always Mainstreet U.S.A. (Disneyland).

Construction in and of itself is not evil. Poorly planned construction is the problem. The population of NC will grow regardless. We can either swallow up every patch of ground with sprawling, ramshackle development (i.e., Carlsbad), or we can concentrate development in high density structures around transporation hubs; while at the same time preserving the natural 'beauty' of surrounding open spaces, and protecting the environment as well.

Do people really need single family homes with front and backyards? No they don't. I'd take a modern condo with a patio and view, over the sprawling ranch house that I grew up in any day.

Developers should be able to develop as they wish? Not accordidng to State law, County law and Municipal law, which has to fund the infrastructure for these behemouths. We live in one of the most desirable locations, therefore demand is always steady, and developers will always try to maximize profit -- that is why we have the laws. I was born and raised in San Diego, and when I bought our first home it was a ramshackle fixer in Encinitas. I invested my income into my home. What happens with developments like Moonlight is that corporations or wealthy investors buy the condos and then rent them out -- this is not a kid friendly development that families can afford to live in. What you get are residents with no stake in the community but still have a vote in the community. I lived in La Jolla before the big boom and that area is a prime example of selling out to development and failure of government oversight to maintain community cohesion. We have a General Plan that places community character above development -- that is why we incorporated -- unfortunately the majority of the council are into generating money as opposed to maintaining the community character. Three stories is a death knell to any beach area -- if one owner is allowed to build up to three, then why can't everyone else do the same? What is unique and wonderful about our City will be destroyed as the PCH becomes one over-developed generic strip mall/condo development.

Actually, the condos may be at least partially the result of recent legislation mandating higher density development.Sacramento wants to get away from sprawling development.

Wealthy people don't buy condos and rent them out. They buy adjacent lots, merge them together, and build mansions.

Mansionization is already occuring along Neptune. Encinitas could become another Malibu (or Rancho Santa Fe). Not many of us can afford a mansion in Malibu or Rancho Santa Fe. The only other realistic choice is condos. We should welcome them.

w2 - you are so wrong. The moonlight beach lofts sell for two million dollars. Neptune houses are cheaper. The whole development was presented as live work lofts. That means the owner of the condo must be the same owner as the office or store below. Any bets on how the develoer will wiggle out of the live/work condos ownership requirements.

bonddi- what character for Leucadia do you want to maintain?? The butt ugly eyesore center medians?? How about the sidewalkless 101?? Perhaps you believe a train cutting through the town at 70+ MPH adds character. It does not.

Maybe you'd like us to return to the days in which every bum in north county called the roadside park home. If that is what the general plan calls for -to maintain the community character- then the last person to leave Encintas, turn out the lights.

When are you people going to understand that the development is NEVER going to end no matter who sits on your city council. Why?? Because the city is sitting on $60 million in debt and tearing down an old building and putting up condos- no matter how ugly- generates giant amounts of $$$ for the city. Money needed to pay outrageous salaries ( they even get paid for their Fridays off!!) and benefits and the stupid bonds they have floated. All members of the council are guilty and all future members will continue with the status quo!

A single $2 million dollar condo will contribute more property taxes than the entire block did prior to the sale and construction. Not to mention all the addition $$ from the other condos, that's the gravy the city is counting upon.

The best thing to happen to the city would be if no one ran for the empty council seats and then the others simply resigned. Fold the city, close it down!! It is facing bankruptcy soon anyway. Right now the city is robbing Peter to pay Paul. You, the hard working taxpayers are Peter and the govt workers are Paul.

But will this happen?? No. The people running for council are a bunch of narcissistic windbags with delusions that they know what is best for you and how you should live. Hell they don't even want you to have a plastic bag to store your plastic bags.

The Encinitas city council-the plastic bag police!! They are more worried about policing your plastic bags than they are about a killer train or decent infrastructure. How about banning straight pipes motorcycles from the city?? Now that will create a climate of peace for once!!

How much will the city pay out for the death of that young boy at San Dieguito?? For lack of infrastructure! When will we know?? Will the NCT have to use the freedom of information act to acquire the numbers?? Or will the council have the guts to come out in the open.

Bloggers your city is lead by the blind and soon to be lead by the blinder.

RSPB- I keep all my stuff in old army ammo cans, no plastic bags for me, I am in compliance.

Call me an optomist, but I believe that there is a balance between spending and quality of life. I guess everyone would agree on this, but the touchstone is what quality of life. Leucadia used to be a rare gem of the coastal communities -- there was a full tree canopy, there were flowers in the dirt, the business along 101 were thriving, and there wasn't one condo, loft, eyesore in place. The Council has deliberately neglected Leucadia, in concert with the NCTD, so it can be "improved." I suggest putting the train in a tunnel so that there is no need to take private property and build an extensive engineering support system. The new building next to Dr. Soifer's (Companion Pet Care) is a prime example of over building a lot with minimal money spent on design and materials. Leucadia is made of natural materials, not concrete and glass. Take a look at the Del Mar Library -- that is an old building that we renovated to modern standards to serve modern needs without destroying the community character. To those who have invested their time, money and hope in their homes, a community is much more than merely an investment to be cashed in at the end of the day. Home is the next door neighbors, the cafes downtown, the bicycle shop, the beach, the local movie theater, the local schools. Having traveled, I find that Encinitas is one of the friendliest places and I would hate to see greed and ego ruin a good thing.

I have said this many times...until we revise the 2 Specific Plans, we will continue to see these types of projects, because they are ALLOWED. If it is important to find the guilty parties for what is being built, open the first page of the Specific Plans and read who served on those committees and who the seated council was that approved them. Simply put, if you want to see more of the same, keep quiet. If you want change, the Specific Plans need revision.

Developers simply read the rules and act accordingly. The density, height, parking, etc. is all by the book.

Also, if the height of this project offends you, then you should have let someone know when the story poles stood for all to see.

It's important that everyone take a little responsibility for themselves. Lawyers perhaps have trained us all to believe that it's always someone else's fault, and that government must always protect it's citizens from every perceived harm. I'm just suggesting that if you saw the story poles and didn't say anything, it's a reasonable assumption that it must be ok to you.

I insisted that the poles be erected so that everyone could see a reasonable representation of the bulk and scale proposed. I thought it was excessive and out of scale, and as a result, was the only opposing vote.

The future development in Leucadia will follow the guidelines in the North 101 Specific Plan. I encourage you to understand what it means.

It wasn't all by the book for the Moonlight Beach lofts aka 101 artists lofts. The planning commission voted for more residential than allowed in the specific plan. By the book, no. By planning manipulation, yes.

And I have said this before- If you want to maintain the status quo, then buy the land and don't develop it. But you never do this you just bitch and moan about this house and that building, blah,blah,blah. Same old crap from the same old whiners.

Search This Blog

About Leucadia

Leucadia is a funky little beach community located in North San Diego county in southern California. Leucadia is the north section of the city of Encinitas.

English spiritualists settled the small coastal community of Leucadia in 1870, and are reputed to have danced, in diaphanous white robes in the little Roadside Park (Leucadia Blvd and Hwy 101).

The spiritualists are the reason so many of the streets are named after Greek gods and goddesses. Leucadia is Greek for "a sheltered place." Heritage Eucalyptus trees, planted in the 1880s, still grace the highway. When President Roosevelt passed through Leucadia in an open car during the Depression, local children climbed the Eucalyptus trees to wave to him.

Change happens slowly in this nostalgic little California beach town. In lieu of fast food restaurants and franchise chain stores, Leucadia has two miles of Mom 'n Pop businesses, and that's the way everyone likes it. The town war cry is "Keep Leucadia Funky."

Leucadia played an active role in the rebirth of the classic Highway 101 shield, restored in 1997, and was part of the successful 101 Campaign to have Highway 101 declared an historic route.

Leucadia is experiencing growing pains and culture clash in these first decades of the 21st century...

Contact Us:

We welcome guest editorials and opposing opinions. If there is a local event you want blogged let us know. Email us at: leucadiablog@gmail.com

*We apply the Welborn Protocol. We might run your email as a post unless you tell us your correspondence is to remain private. We have busy lives and don't always get a chance to check our LB email regularly.